On MAy 22, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary told CNBC that he expects some of their European rivals to request payment deferral in the coming months. The high fuel costs mean that a number of airlines in the region would fail, according to the Irish executive (airlinerwatch.com) More...

Las Vegas-based ultra-LCC Allegiant Air and its flight dispatchers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), reached a tentative agreement May 22 on a five-year contract, the first ever for Allegiant’s 34 dispatchers. Negotiations for the contract began in 2017. (atwonline.com) More...

Mexico’s Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) has suspended the license of Damojh Airlines, the operator involved in the May 18 crash of a Boeing 737-200, the civil aviation authority said on Monday. (www.ainonline.com) More...

Aeromexico says it will not begin its planned service to Barcelona, blaming approvals granted to Emirates to launch Mexico service via Barcelona for its decision to pull the route. (www.flightglobal.com) More...

After years of negotiations, on May 21 the exchange of diplomatic notes between the governments of Brazil and United States marked the final implementation of the Open Skies Agreement signed in March 2011. (airlinegeeks.com) More...

The surface-to-air missile that shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a Boeing 777, belonged to the Russian armed forces, the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) said May 24. (atwonline.com) More...

Airbus and its four home countries—France, Germany, Spain and the UK—have made changes to reimbursable launch investment loans that they believe will bring the aid in compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules (atwonline.com) More...

Manufacture of the first ACJ320neo has begun, with elements taking shape across Europe and final assembly due to begin in June, followed by the first delivery of the “green” aircraft to Acropolis Aviation of the UK in the last quarter of this year. A second ACJ320neo will follow by year-end. (www.eturbonews.com) More...

European leisure group Thomas Cook will decide on the renewal of its long-haul fleet before the end of the year. According to Christoph Debus, head of the group’s airline division, replacing Condor’s aging fleet of 16 Boeing 767-300ERs is the top priority. He said both young used and new aircraft are being considered, but he declined to give further details. (atwonline.com) More...

Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) this week welcomed its first U.S.-produced A320 aircraft from the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility in Mobile, Alabama. A team of Allegiant employees and executives from the company's headquarters in Las Vegas joined Airbus' leadership team at the production facility for a special ceremony to officially mark the delivery. The Airbus A320 is the 11th of 13 new A320 aircraft scheduled for purchase directly from Airbus, to be inducted into Allegiant's fleet this year.… (www.prnewswire.com) More...

United Airlines (UA) has anticipated the winter ski season by adding a new weekly nonstop service between its hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), the latter which serves the city of Eagle, Vail, and Beaver Creek. (airwaysmag.com) More...

Pre-tax earnings for US airlines fell 27%—down approximately $700 million year-over-year—in the first quarter of 2018, as fuel, labor, airport and aircraft expenses outpaced revenues, according to an industry overview by Airlines for America (A4A) released May 23 (atwonline.com) More...

Lufthansa Group network airlines will introduce an “Economy Light” fare on routes to North America for the summer 2018 season. The move follows an accelerating trend as more major airlines segment fares in the main cabin, offering a basic fare for cost-conscious consumers while hoping to upsell some passengers to a higher grade of ticket. (atwonline.com) More...

Flydubai has denied reports on Wednesday of an attempt to hijack its plane in Iranian airspace. Azad News Agency said: “The Iranian Air Traffic Engineering Directorate announced that the flight of FlyDubai Airlines, from Dubai to Kabul, was over Iran when a person armed with a knife tried to enter the cockpit. The pilots succeeded in locking in and asked to return to Dubai airport.” (www.airlive.net) More...